DE 38 01 802 C2, for example, discloses a connecting rod for an axial piston compressor. The connecting rod is made of shaped sheet metal whose base sheet comprises deep drawn cylindrical stampings for the connecting rod eyes on both ends. A bearing bushing is inserted into each connecting rod eye and the cylindrical stamping overlaps only a part of the axial length of the bushing. Reinforcing beads are also provided to impart increased stiffness to the connecting rod in defined sections. However, along a straight line extending transversely of a central longitudinal axis of the connecting rod, the base sheet is not shaped. Bending can occur more easily along the straight line extending transversely of the central longitudinal axis of the connecting rod than in the sheet sections in which the cylindrical stamping or the bead is formed by shaping. This bending ability reduces edge pressure in a desired manner.
Due to these intended bending regions, these prior art connecting rods are not suitable for applications that require connecting rods that have a light weight and an adequate stiffness at the same time.